Festival promotes consumption of Thanh Ha litchi

NDO/VNA – The first-ever Thanh Ha litchi festival will be organised in the northern province of Hai Duong on June 10 to promote consumption of the local specialty fruit, the organising board said at a press conference on May 30.

The festival is designed to create opportunities for local farmers to connect with supermarkets, and processing and export firms while facilitating the signing of contracts, memorandum of understanding on the consumption of litchi and other agricultural products.

An array of activities will be held during the festival, including tours to the ancient litchi tree in Thuy Lam village, Thanh Son commune, Thanh Ha district; visits to VietGAP litchi gardens; and boat tours to visit litchi orchard along Huong river, among others. Visitors can also try their hand at picking litchi in gardens in Thanh Ha district and Chi Linh town.

Hai Duong litchi received the geographical indication from the Ministry of Science and Technology National Office of Intellectual Property in 2007. The local fruit was in Top 10 quality products in 2013 and 2014 and received the Gold Brand prize in 2015.

The Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology granted a “trustful and safe food brand” certificate for Thanh Ha litchi in 2016. The same year, the ancient litchi tree in Thuy Lam village was recognised as the oldest of its kind in Vietnam.

According to Nguyen Thi Ha, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the province has 10,500 hectares of litchi, which are expected to yield 55,000-60,000 tonnes of fruit this year. The harvest time is from May 15 to the end of June.

Currently, 131.68 hectares of local litchi cultivation are qualified for exports to the US, EU and Australia. The province is also home to 334 hectares of litchi grown in accordance with VietGAP standards.

Besides domestic market, Thanh Ha litchi has increased its presence outside the country. The fruit has been sold in Australia, Canada, China, France, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the US.